Introduction

This inspection was carried out by four additional inspectors. The inspectors visited 26 lessons and observed 15 teachers. They held meetings with groups of pupils, staff and governors. They observed the school's work and looked at the data the school has collected on pupils' attainment and progress, the school's strategic plan, lesson and curriculum plans, governors' minutes, records held on vulnerable pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, school policies and procedures for keeping pupils safe. Inspectors scrutinised questionnaires returned from pupils, staff and 138 parents and carers.

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at the following:

pupils' attainment and progress, particularly in writing

the quality of teaching and the use of assessment and their impact on pupils' learning and progress

the effectiveness of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage and its impact on children's learning and progress

the quality and impact of leadership and management, especially in relation to the drive and ambition of recently appointed leaders to improve outcomes for pupils.

Information about the school

This school is larger than the average primary school with provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage in two Nursery and two Reception classes. The majority of pupils are boys. The number of pupils attending the school is rising. A large majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds, a small minority of pupils are from other ethnic groups and a few pupils are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities ' most commonly speech, language and communication and specific learning difficulties ' is lower than the national average. Few pupils are eligible for free school meals. The school has several awards including the Healthy School Award and the foundation level of the International School Award.

Since the last inspection, the deputy headteacher was appointed as the headteacher in April 2009. A new deputy headteacher was appointed in September 2009 and the senior leadership team has been restructured.

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

Inspection judgements

Overall effectiveness: how good is the school?

2

The school's capacity for sustained improvement

2

Main findings

Gordon Primary is a good school. Pupils are happy, achieve well and feel safe. They know that through the 'Listening Ear', they have someone to talk to if they need to discuss a problem. Relationships are positive and behaviour is good. In some lessons it is outstanding. Pupils are proud of their community and many take on additional responsibilities within school and the wider community, such as being playground monitors and playground friends, and the band and choir perform in the local community. Pupils' spiritual, moral and social understanding is good and the effect of this can be seen in all they do and the way in which they behave. Their understanding of cultural diversity is less well developed. However, they have a good understanding of cultures and faiths through visits to places of worship, theatres and musical events, and a reasonable understanding of a multicultural British society. The curriculum is broad and well balanced and presents pupils with a wide range of interesting and stimulating learning opportunities, although the use of information and communication technology (ICT) is limited. The curriculum is supported by an extensive range of extra-curricular activities, such as residential visits, sporting links with local secondary schools and a broad range of musical activities through which some pupils become members of the Greenwich Youth Band.

Achievement is good. The skills of children when they enter the school are typical of most three-year-olds. Although progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage is satisfactory, it improves as pupils progress through the school and, by the time they reach Year 6, progress is good. As a result, attainment is above average. Progress is particularly good in mathematics and reading. The progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is also good because they are well supported. Despite the efforts by the school to improve standards in writing, progress is still average and boys in particular make less progress than they should.

The quality of teaching is good. Teachers have good subject knowledge and high expectations of their pupils. The school is in the process of providing teachers with more accurate, accessible assessments of pupils' achievements. However, at the time of the inspection, the use of assessment information was variable. Although questioning is often used to assess progress, it is not used regularly enough to support this process and not fully embedded in practice. Pupils are given limited opportunities to talk together to rehearse their understanding. The use of targets is inconsistent. Marking does not always result in a conversation about how pupils can improve their work. Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage is satisfactory because there are limited opportunities for children to access all areas of learning indoors and outdoors. Leadership and management have not focused sufficiently on improving learning opportunities for children and the use of assessment to track progress is relatively weak.

The recently restructured senior leadership team is committed to improving the learning and progress of pupils. It is well supported by an effective governing body. As a result of well-focused school improvement planning and accurate self-evaluation, there has been considerable improvement in some aspects of the school's work since the last inspection, most notably in the quality of teaching and the curriculum. Consequently, the school's capacity to sustain improvement is good.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

Improve the progress made by pupils in writing, particularly boys by:

providing opportunities to motivate pupils to write for a purpose across a range of curriculum areas and to make greater use ICT

providing more opportunities for pupils to verbally rehearse and practise extended writing on a wide range of topics.

Make more effective use of assessment information to challenge learners by:

ensuring all teachers mark effectively to clearly inform pupils of how to improve their work

consistently setting and reviewing challenging targets and involving pupils in this process.

Improve the consistency of provision and accelerate the progress of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage by:

improving assessment procedures across all areas of learning in order to track children's progress more effectively

enhancing the learning environment to provide more opportunities for children to become independent learners both indoors and outdoors

strengthen the leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage in order to drive forward improvements.

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils

2

In most lessons observed during the inspection, pupils made good progress. In some lessons, pupils showed high levels of engagement and enjoyment in their learning. This was evident in one Year 4 class where the use of the 'Magic Number Cauldron' captivated learners to develop their understanding of fractions and decimals. In a few lessons, pupils lost focus during the first part of the lesson, which lasted too long, and did not involve them sufficiently in sharing their ideas. Inspectors found that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, Black and minority ethnic pupils and those at an early stage of learning English made similar progress to their peers.

Pupils play a vital role in the school and the local community. They have raised money for various charities, including a sponsored walk to raise money for 'Water Aid' and planting bulbs to brighten up the local park. Pupils' clear enjoyment of school life is reflected in their attendance which is above average. They have a good understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle. They are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. While there are a few shortcomings in their wider use of ICT and writing skills, their reading and mathematical skills are notable strengths.

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning
Taking into account:
Pupils' attainment¹
The quality of pupils' learning and their progress
The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

2

2

2

2

The extent to which pupils feel safe

2

Pupils' behaviour

2

The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles

2

The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community

2

The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being
Taking into account:
Pupils' attendance¹

2

2

The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

2

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average;
and 4 is low

How effective is the provision?

Teachers know their pupils well and expect high standards of behaviour. As a result, pupils have good attitudes to learning. Planning, particularly in literacy, has recently been revised to ensure a greater focus on all aspects of writing. In the small minority of satisfactory lessons, the pace is slower and pupils are unclear about the learning objective. There is only satisfactory use of assessment to support learning; for example, the timescale for the review of some pupil targets is too long. In the majority of good or better lessons, the level of challenge and the pace enthuses and motivates pupils. Good use is made of a range of resources and equipment to help make lessons enjoyable and interesting. This is reflected in the positive comments by a number of pupils such as, 'The teachers make the lessons fun!'

The curriculum contributes positively to pupils' good learning and personal development. Good partnerships, visits and visitors significantly enhance the learning opportunities and make a valuable contribution to pupils' high level of enjoyment. The school has begun to augment the curriculum further through greater cross-curricular links and creative opportunities, for example through the Forest Schools development.

Pupils feel safe and well cared for. The school works well with parents and carers and involves outside agencies when necessary to meet the diverse needs of a range of pupils. There are some pupils with challenging behaviour and the school has an effective behaviour policy with strategies to support improvements in behaviour. Adults deal consistently with pupils and provide them with support in lessons and around the school. Good arrangements are in place to ensure pupils access the next stage in their learning.

These are the grades for the quality of provision

The quality of teaching
Taking into account:
The use of assessment to support learning

2

3

The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships

2

The effectiveness of care, guidance and support

2

How effective are leadership and management?

Good leadership and management promote good outcomes for pupils. The relatively new leadership team are committed to improvement and have clear plans in place, providing a strong focus for all members of the school community. Middle leaders share this commitment to improvement and the development of the progress tracking system is providing the necessary data to enable interventions to be planned to support individuals and groups of pupils. Senior leaders review progress data regularly, but the relatively new system is not fully embedded. The governors have been decisive in their leadership and are influential in determining the direction of the school. They know the strengths and weaknesses of the school and provide effective challenge and support.

All staff work effectively to ensure equal opportunities are promoted and discrimination in any form is tackled successfully. Safeguarding procedures are in place. The school is a safe and harmonious community and this is recognised by parents and pupils. The school has responded satisfactorily to its duty to help pupils to gain a greater understanding of communities different from their own. It has not sought the views of the community to develop a fully effective plan or to formally establish links with schools in other parts of Britain or abroad. The school provides good value for money.

These are the grades for leadership and management

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement
Taking into account:
The leadership and management of teaching and learning

2

2

The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the
school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met

2

The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers

2

The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being

2

The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination

2

The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures

3

The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion

3

The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

2

Early Years Foundation Stage

Children arrive in the Nursery with skills, knowledge and understanding that are broadly in line with expectations for their age. They make satisfactory progress so that by the time they begin Year 1 their attainment is average. Planning is good and generally caters for the varying needs of most children. However, there are inconsistencies across the Early Years Foundation Stage and provision for some children does not capture their interest. Behaviour in some classes is inconsistently managed. Insufficient use is made of the outdoor learning area, in particular the opportunities for children to make choices across the indoor and outdoor learning areas throughout the day. While most adults support children to learn and develop well, there is a lack of focus in some classes. The use of data to identify areas for development is adequate. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Partnerships with parents are strong and there is good communication to support children's learning and personal development. Safeguarding and welfare arrangements are in place.

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage
Taking into account:
Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage
The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage
The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation
Stage

3

3

3

3

Views of parents and carers

In their responses to the questionnaires, the vast majority of the parents and carers were positive. Almost all said their child enjoyed school and a very large majority said the school keeps their child safe. A few raised concerns about the progress being made by their child. Inspectors agree that some pupil progress needs to be improved. A very small minority of parents and carers raised concerns regarding the instances of inappropriate behaviour. Inspectors found that behaviour was good in lessons and around the school. Pupils with challenging behaviour are supported and managed well.

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Gordon Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.

In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school.

The inspection team received 138 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 460 pupils registered at the school.

Statements

Stronglyagree

Agree

Disagree

Stronglydisagree

Total

%

Total

%

Total

%

Total

%

My child enjoys school

68

49

68

49

2

1

0

0

The school keeps my child safe

56

41

78

57

8

6

0

0

My school informs me about my child's progress

41

30

85

62

10

7

2

1

My child is making enough progress at this school

38

28

77

56

20

15

2

1

The teaching is good at this school

48

35

76

55

12

9

0

0

The school helps me to support my child's learning

39

28

81

59

16

12

0

0

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle

42

30

80

58

12

9

0

0

The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing
school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment)

25

18

75

54

12

9

0

0

The school meets my child's particular needs

33

24

76

55

16

12

3

2

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour

25

18

81

22

20

15

3

2

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns

25

18

78

57

21

15

2

1

The school is led and managed effectively

32

23

81

22

15

11

0

0

Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school

55

40

63

46

15

11

0

0

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The
percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number
of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular
question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

Glossary

What inspection judgements mean

Grade

Judgement

Description

Grade 1

Outstanding

These features are highly effective. An oustanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs.

Grade 2

Good

These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well.

Grade 3

Satisfactory

These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils.

Grade 4

Inadequate

These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it
improves.

Overall effectiveness of schools inspected between September 2007 and July 2008

Overall effectiveness judgement (percentage of schools)

Type of school

Outstanding

Good

Satisfactory

Inadequate

Nursery schools

39

58

3

0

Primary schools

13

50

33

4

Secondary schools

17

40

34

9

Sixth forms

18

43

37

2

Special schools

26

54

18

2

Pupil referral units

7

55

30

7

All schools

15

49

32

5

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that
inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously.

The data in the table above were reported in the Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of
Education, Children's Services and Skills 2007/08.

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Secondary school figures include
those that have sixth forms, and sixth form figures include only the data specifically for sixth form
inspection judgements.

Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement:

the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

Attainment:

the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

Capacity to improve:

the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what
the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

Leadership and management:

the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities,
directing and motivating staff and running the school.

Learning:

how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are
developing their competence as learners.

Overall effectiveness:

inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their
inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

The school's capacity for sustained improvement.

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.

The quality of teaching.

The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.

The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

Progress:

the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main findings from the inspection of their school.

8 March 2010

Dear Pupils

Inspection of Gordon Primary School, Eltham, SE9 1QG

Thank you for making us so welcome when we visited your school. We very much enjoyed our visit and particularly enjoyed talking to you about your learning and found your comments very helpful. Your school is a good school.

These are the things we most liked about your school:

you enjoy learning, behave well and make good progress in your learning

you are polite, friendly and helpful to everyone. You enjoy taking responsibility and have done many things to support improvements to your school and the local community

all the adults look after you well and you feel safe and happy in school

you have many additional opportunities for learning through visits and visitors to your school. There is also a great deal of really enjoyable activities for you to take part in at lunchtimes and after school.

Even though your school is a good school, there are three things that we have asked your headteacher and governors to do to make it even better:

help you to improve your writing, particularly for the boys, by finding topics of interest, using ICT more and giving you more opportunities to write at length across many areas of the curriculum

help you to know how to improve your work through the marking and comments provided by teachers and to include you in your learning more by being involved in setting and reviewing your targets

make sure the staff in the Early Years Foundation Stage give children the best possible start to school life.

Thank you for making our visit so enjoyable. You can help to improve your school too, by working hard and always trying your best in everything you do.

Yours sincerely

Ann Henderson

Lead Inspector

Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available
from Ofsted's website: ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 08456 404045, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.